If you’ve found yourself wanting to hear a little good news lately, you’re not alone. With glum news about the economy and stories about shrinking school district budgets and staff, people need something to cheer about. Jeffco Schools had our chance to cheer.

BOYS BASKETBALL
Musleh, Dakota Ridge snap three-game slide with rout
AURORA — Abdullah Musleh led three Dakota Ridge players in double figures with 20 points as the Eagles snapped a three-game losing streak with a 74-41 win over Grand Junction Central on Dec. 17 at the Hinkley Holiday Tournament.
Dakota Wallin added 13 points and Dylan Hoffman scored 10 for Dakota Ridge (3-4).
The Eagles led 34-23 at halftime before blowing the game open over the final two quarters.

Senior center Jon Snow scored Columbine’s first seven points and finished with 18 to lead the Rebels past visiting Lakewood 60-46 on Dec. 16.
“We just wanted to come out strong, and it just happened that I got the points with my teammates helping out a lot,” Snow said.
Columbine (4-0) led the Tigers 30-23 at the half and survived a Lakewood threat in the third quarter led by Tigers forward Nermin Kozic.

THORNTON — Maybe it was her nerves, but in the moments before Ashley Horodyski took to the pool for her 100-yard butterfly finals on Dec. 17 at the Colorado Coaches Invitational the Columbine senior was lining up in Lane 6. Unfortunately, she was marked to be in Lane 5.
As it turned out, it probably didn’t matter which lane she was in. She didn’t have much to be worried about.

Work groups from Jeffco Public Schools are recommending that 590 jobs be eliminated over the next two years to help meet a $70 million budget shortfall.

The cuts, which would most prominently affect elementary and middle schools and would save $47.5 million, would eliminate the school district’s fourth- and fifth-grade instrumental music program. Additionally, all middle school librarian jobs would be cut.